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Posted: 9/8/2006 3:33:39 AM EDT
| What do I need in my lower reciever to run .45 through it? |
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If you have a standard AR lower, you need Olympic Arms modified .45 Uzi mags. There are 16 round mags out there but they are not made anymore and are expensive. Oly is running out of 10 round .45 Uzi mags as IMI won't make anymore for them. The Oly mags have a block welded to the back of the mag so the normal AR mag catch can be used. I've heard .41 AE Uzi mags work with .45 ACP but are also hard to find. If you have a Cav Arms AR lower, you can use M3 Grease gun mags but you also need a Hahn magwell block and a Slash brand heavy buffer. |
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TC stop being modest. You could just purchase an AR45 that TC is trying to bring to market, and everyone is chomping at the bit to get. |
Buffer: www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=25&t=263131 I also carry the Hahn mag blocks for $85/each, shipped. |
Very interesting question. I would say they are close cousins. Both are stamped, single feed, extra crispy coating, and both designed and made when both nations were desparate for arms. That's why I prefer Thompson mags. |
IM sent about the Hahn mag block. Crap I forgot to make sure it was for a 9mm AR. Kinda forgot you had stated the price in a .45 thread |
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Some .45 ACP hollow points fit with no room to spare. FMJ rounds will not. .45 GAP fits fine. The problem with trying to use Sten mags is the feed lips are too short. I made a .45 GAP upper receiver intending to use Sten mags but the short feed lips on the mags caused the rounds go everywhere but in the chamber. Sometimes the rounds nose dived and other times the rounds went nose up and jammed crooked in the barrel extension. About 1 in 5 would chamber and fire followed by a double feed. Same thing happened only worse when trying to use short .45 ACP HPs. The .45 HPs also tend to hang up on the front edge of the mags during feeding. I tried the .45 GAP rounds out of grease gun mags in my AR45 lower and it ran like a raped ape. This confirmed it was a mag related problem with the Sten mags. There is almost a 1/4" inch difference in the length of Sten vs GG mag feed lips. I'm trying hard to bring the AR45 lower to market that uses GG mags to overcome the problem with the lack of good .45 ACP mags.  I'm also working on this option using Reising SMG mags. The issue with Reising mags in the price of mags. They run from $60-$100. 
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| You picture of you lower made me think of an article I remember reading in Guns & Ammo a few years back. A company called LaFrance made a lower similiar to yours that used Thompson magazines. I tried to go back an find which issue it was but had no luck. Ary you going to offer your lower with Thompson mag capability? By the way it is a super looking piece of work! |
LaFrance is NOT friendly to the private ownership of firearms. They only market their 45 AR to "Govt/LE"- well, last I heard. Not wanting to over step/anser for TC, the Tommy mag is double feed. The width of the magazine, so says another member (if I recall correctly), does not allow it to be used with an AR upper w/out a releif cut being made on the upper. It's too wide for the upper due to the fact it is double feed. Even IF a Tommy mag lower was made, just slapping on the Oly 45 upper will not work. The upper would have to be "notched" to clear the mag. Hey, wait a minute.... TC...... I bought that 45 Gap barrel from you! (Your thread on the OA1.org site....) I have a 'Oly' modifed Uzi mag that I can use for the GAP & it's a 16 rounder too. I guess all I need now is to get a Oly bolt and upper reciever..... I have enough Stens to play (well ofer 30 mags). |
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Mr. LaFrance works for or with Surefire and is extremely difficult to get a hold of. I am still experimenting with using Thompson mags in the AR45 lower. I have one prototype lower that is machined to use both the GG mag and the "T" mag. I haven't had a chance to modify an upper yet and test for function. The Oly bolt might be able to strip rounds from a "T" mag. Even though the mags are alternating feed, a portion of each round crosses the centerline of the mag when loaded. Might be just enough for the Oly bolt to catch on and strip the round from the mag and feed it into the chamber. If not, I'll have to use a Colt/RRA bolt and barrel set up. Kaliburz, I will send you 2 different barrel extensions with the .45 GAP barrel. See which one works best. One has a more pronounced funnel leading into the end of the barrel. |
While I love the dedicated lower, I really wish someone would just make a new magazine for the AR in 45. Something that looks normal-ish and has a BHO would be spectacular. But, I don't see that happening any time soon. |
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The bolt catch can be eliminated but that might cause problems if a jam has to be dealt with. Especially if you have a stuck round in the chamber or stuck brass. Can't pull the round out manually if the bolt keeps closing. .40 S&W and 10mm work fine from a GG mag. The feed lips need to be adjusted a little to hold the rounds. I know of one entity in the industry working on a .45 mag that fits in a regular magwell but I am not at liberty to say more. Not expected to ready until sometime next year. I got this word of mouth from an insider but it could be BS too. |
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Maybe a hint as to whom???? I know of one entity in the industry working on a .45 mag that fits in a regular magwell but I am not at liberty to say more. Not expected to ready until sometime next year. I got this word of mouth from an insider but it could be BS too. |
There's always this, but it's just a guy, not an "entity in the industry" 
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Yes, it will, sort of......... .45acp w/ 200gr truncated cone will fit with feed lip modification. I modified a few to run 230gr fmj by removing the rear mag rib and feed lip mods. I have some photos laying about if interested. You only get 16 rounds. It takes over an hour to mod a mag. I sold my AR .45 upper when I got a Tommy gun. I miss that upper, and may get another if this .45 lower ever materializes. |
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